


the thousand year dream

by poalimal



Series: WIP Amnesty [11]
Category: Mononoke-hime | Princess Mononoke
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1920s, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Drabble, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 07:17:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17741375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poalimal/pseuds/poalimal
Summary: The man sat up, fuzzy-eyed. 'I'm sorry, San,' he said. What a strange accent he had! 'I was so tired. I think I must've fallen asleep.'





	the thousand year dream

That was the summer Great-Grandfather became sick, so sick they thought he would die - and so they left the city, Sen, her mother and her two brothers, and journeyed to Great-Grandfather's village by the sea. The train took them to another train, which took them to the coast, which took them to the ferry. They crowded into the car waiting for them at the dock, sweaty and hot and tired.

Their driver seemed to know their mother. He was tall, a big and hairy man. Sen had never seen anyone like him before.

'It's so good to see you, Moriko,' he said. 'Your oldest is practically a man now! Why, even little Kenji's a big boy! But I don't remember you having a girl. What's your name, then, girlie?'

'What's _your_ name?' Kenji put in. 'We don't know you.'

'Kenjiro!' Mother snapped. 'Don't be rude.'

Kenji sulked out the window. The sun was setting fast in the sky. 'My name is Osen, sir,' Sen answered, distracted.

The man's laughter filled up the car. 'Sir?' he said, slowing down to let a bunch of cows cross the road. 'Do I look like a sir to you?'

Sen regarded him. 'You don't really look like anything to me, sir,' she decided.

Mother shook her head and laughed. 'You must forgive my children, Genkei. It has been a long day, and they are tired.'

Sen was not tired, actually - but disagreeing with Mother was like disagreeing with the shadow of a mountain. The driver Genkei and Mother went back and forth, speaking of strangers that Sen did not know. Sen stared hard past Kenji, out the window.

There was something-- It felt like there something familiar in the air. Like... falling into a memory of a dream.

Kenji saw Sen staring and made a quick face. Sen stuck out her tongue. Mother caught this from the front seat: she sent them both warning looks. Sen and Kenji scowled at each other when she turned away.

On Sen's other side, Taro rolled down the window. 'Look,' he whispered, pointing up. Nightink spilled down dreamy in the sky, tiny stars peeking out in the coming dark. At a distance, over huge swathes of dark green meadowgrass, she could see the light of little houses, spread out small and wide along the hills. That must be the town, she thought.

Beyond that, she saw, lay the forest.

Taro looked at her worriedly. 'Sen--' he said.

' _Ow!_ ' Kenji whined. Sen blinked and realised she'd elbowed her way onto his side. Before she could apologise, Kenji cried out, 'Mama, Sen's on my side!'

'Now that is _enough_ from the both of you,' said Mother severely. 'I hope you don't think I'll let you pick at each other like this in front of Grandfather. I'll send you all back to Tokyo before I let you embarrass our family this way. Now for the last time, _leave each other alone_. Do _not_ make me have to talk to you about this again.'

'Not even my real sister,' said Kenji under his breath. Sen was still craning her neck to look at the forest - she barely heard him.

 

* * *

 

But she replayed his words, late that night.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> (could passengers roll down car windows in 1920s era cars??? 🧐)


End file.
